Hi there, we are Kiwi & Koala (www.kiwienkoala.nl) a beautiful web shop in The Netherlands selling just Australian and New-Zealand brands.
The woman behind Kiwi & Koala is Suzanne, she has been lucky enough to visit Australia twice in the past few years. Her sister, Linda, lives in Australia with her family and gives Suzanne tips on the best new trends and hot brands Down Under.
After many late night discussions, following lengthy shopping expeditions around Australia, Suzanne decided the time was right to bring design from Down Under to the Netherlands.
The realisation of Kiwi & Koala started with Bonnie Bonny. Ladedah Kids was the obvious brand to bring to the Netherlands. Each softie has such character and originality and the quality is fabulous.
We get inspiration from everywhere. We follow the trends in Australia, in New Zealand and in the Netherlands through Instagram, Pinterest and blogs and magazines. We both are really attracted to lightness and brightness and to nature. The design and colours of the web shop reflect this – abstract eucalyptus leaves, and splashes of colour.
It is hard to choose a favourite item – I clearly love them all. If I have to choose, Bonnie Bunny and Amanda Panda are amongst our favourite items as well as wire ware baskets from DownToTheWoods and ear studs form Nanna Woo. Of course market research is a necessity and sometimes shipping costs mean we sometimes have to decide not to select an item for the shop … these are the difficult decisions.
There are lots of things we love doing besides managing the web shop, and a regular day job. Suzanne has a young and growing family … yes a third baby is expected in January ... which keeps her very busy. Shopping, reading, gardening, going out for dinner, cooking are other favourite activities.
There are a lots of European countries and lovely cities that are worth visiting. Most favourite are the Norwegian and Dutch countryside, Antwerp, Berlin, Stockholm, London, Paris, Reykjavik and Barcelona.
Travel tips are the fjords in Norway, Pippi Longstocking’s house, shopping in Antwerp, the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik for relaxation, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, London for the museums, Berlin to ride a bike and learn about its history (and the Zoo!), Paris to visit the Sacre Coeur and have tasty romantic dinners. And of course, The Netherlands for all kinds of activities with the kids: Artis Zoo in Amsterdam is our all time favourite.
Whilst we love our food, the Dutch are not particularly well known for our cuisine. My 4 and 3 year-old daughters can't get enough of baking cookies and cupcakes.
A typical day … mmmmm … crazy mainly. Taking the kids to school, work all day, picking the kids up, sending orders, talking to bloggers, checking social media for news and inspiration. And then putting my feet up with a cup of green tea, rubbing my growing baby bump.